This week’s episode of Fridays With Larry tackles a mix of deeply personal local tragedy, city leadership priorities, and national issues making headlines. The Feb. 6 edition begins with continued discussion of the Hailey Buzbee case and its lasting impact on the Fishers community, followed by key takeaways from the City of Fishers’ State of the City address and what it signals for the year ahead.
The conversation also turns to the release of the Epstein files and the broader questions they raise.
Joining the show this week is Casey Harrison, owner of Polished Strategic Communications, who offers insight into messaging, reputation management, and the challenges of communicating clearly in today’s fast-moving media environment.
You can watch the podcast on YouTube at this link. If you prefer to listen only use this link, or utilize the links below.
Fridays With Larry is brought to you by Citizens State Bank.
Jacfar Abdi of Noblesville has been arrested overseas and extradited to Indiana in connection with a 2023 shooting in Fishers that left a man wounded, according to a release from the Fishers Police Department.
Abdi was taken into custody in Cairo, Egypt, and extradited to the United States by special agents with FBI Indianapolis on January 27, 2026. He was then transferred to the custody of the Fishers Police Department.
The charges stem from an incident on November 19, 2023. Fishers Police officers were notified that a gunshot victim was being treated at a local hospital and began an investigation. Officers later identified the shooting location as Rhineland Pass at The District at Saxony Apartments.
Investigators determined that around 4 p.m. that day, two vehicles and multiple individuals were involved in an incident at the apartment complex. Through interviews and video evidence, police say Abdi drove to the location, entered the victim’s vehicle, and shot the victim during an armed robbery. Abdi then returned to his own vehicle, which was occupied by four other individuals, and fled the area.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital by individuals who were in his vehicle. The victim survived the shooting.
After Abdi was identified as the primary suspect, investigators determined he had fled the United States to avoid prosecution. A Fishers Police Department detective assigned as a task force officer with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force initiated a fugitive investigation and worked with federal and international law enforcement partners. That investigation ultimately located Abdi in Cairo.
With assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché in Cairo and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, Abdi was arrested overseas and held pending extradition. He was extradited to Indiana by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force.
“This arrest and extradition demonstrate the FBI’s relentless commitment to pursuing violent offenders, no matter where they flee,” said Timothy J. O’Malley, special agent in charge of FBI Indianapolis. “Through close coordination with our partners at the Fishers Police Department, FBI Legal Attaché Cairo, and our international law enforcement counterparts, we were able to locate Abdi overseas and bring him back to the United States to face justice.”
Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart praised the multi-agency effort that led to Abdi’s return.
“The Fishers Police Department is relentless in the pursuit of those who choose to commit violent acts within our city,” Gebhart said. “The FPD detective assigned to the FBI VCTF worked tirelessly and utilized every tool available to locate this violent felon and get justice for the victim.”
Abdi is currently being held in the Hamilton County Jail. He faces seven felony charges, including attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated battery, robbery, organized retail theft, criminal recklessness, and pointing a firearm at another person.
The case was investigated by the Fishers Police Department, FBI Indianapolis Violent Crimes Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Chicago Field Office Border Security Division, the FBI Legal Attaché in Cairo, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has proclaimed February as “Go Pink for Hailey Month” in honor of Hailey Buzbee, a Fishers teenager whose death has deeply affected her family, friends, and the broader community.
In a statement released by the City of Fishers, Fadness said he made the proclamation in coordination with the Buzbee family and as Hailey’s father, a member of the Fishers Police Department, prepared to bring his daughter home.
“Over the course of these difficult days, I have had the honor of getting to know the Buzbee family and learning about their wonderful daughter, Hailey,” Fadness said. “In coordination with the family, and in anticipation of Hailey’s dad and the Fishers Police Department bringing her home, I am proclaiming February ‘Go Pink for Hailey Month,’ in her honor.”
The proclamation describes Hailey as a loving daughter, sister, and friend, remembered by those close to her as a bright and hardworking young woman who loved music, books, and spending time with her family. It also notes the family’s request that Hailey be remembered for her passions and her loving spirit.
As part of the month-long tribute, the City of Fishers will change exterior lighting on several city landmarks to pink, including City Hall, the Fishers Community Center, State Road 37 features, and portions of the Nickel Plate Trail. Pink ribbons will also be placed along 116th Street and at city-owned properties throughout Fishers.
Residents are invited to participate in several public remembrance opportunities. The city’s art gallery at Fishers City Hall will display a portrait of Hailey created by local artist and Fall Creek Junior High art teacher Shelley Feeney. Community members may also share written condolences and messages of remembrance on a “We Love Hailey” canvas at City Hall.
Additional space for messages, memorial items, and tributes has been set aside at the Fishers Community Center, where another “We Love Hailey” canvas will be available.
The proclamation states that the city “mourns alongside the Buzbee Family” and calls on residents to honor Hailey’s life by participating in the Go Pink for Hailey observances throughout February.
City officials said the events and displays are intended to provide a place for collective remembrance and to show support for the Buzbee family during a profoundly difficult time.
You may recall the public outpouring of grief following the death of former Hamilton Southeastern High School student Mason Alexander.
Alexander was killed in a traffic crash last year, and court records now indicate a guilty plea has been entered in the case.
Trey Williams, 18, who was charged in connection with the crash, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea. A plea hearing is set for March 11, according to court documents. No additional details about the plea agreement were immediately available.
Williams had previously pleaded not guilty in June 2025 to charges of felony reckless homicide, reckless driving, and carrying false identification.
The crash occurred on March 1, 2025, on Florida Road.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools will host a special community event focused on internet and social media safety next week, following the recent death of 17-year-old Hamilton Southeastern High School student Hailey Buzbee.
The presentation, “Protecting Kids in the Digital Age: Internet & Social Media Safety,” is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Leonard Auditorium at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Attendees should enter through Door 18.
The event will be led by Tiffany Preston, a former Assistant United States Attorney who spent nearly 17 years investigating internet crimes against children. Preston will offer practical guidance aimed at helping parents and guardians better protect young people online, including device safety, recognizing warning signs of unsafe online interactions, and understanding the risks associated with popular apps and online games.
School officials said the presentation is part of the district’s ongoing commitment to student well-being and comes at a time when concerns about online safety have intensified within the community.
Due to the sensitive nature of the material, the event is intended for adults only. Members of the district’s crisis response team will be present to provide support to attendees as needed.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools also noted that a previously scheduled school board meeting will take place at the same date and time as the internet safety presentation. District officials said they are aware of the scheduling conflict but planned the event around the speaker’s availability. Both the school board meeting and the internet safety event will be video recorded for later viewing.
Planning and Zoning Director Ross Hilleary presents the staff proposal
The Fishers Plan Commission took no favorable or unfavorable position Wednesday night on a proposed memory care center in the 10900 block of Brooks School Road, following a public hearing at City Hall.
The commission, which serves in an advisory role to the Fishers City Council, failed to reach the votes necessary to advance a recommendation on the proposal by Story Custom Development.
Only six members of the 11-member commission were present, just enough to constitute a quorum. However, six affirmative votes—representing a majority of the full commission—are required to pass either a favorable or unfavorable recommendation to the City Council.
A motion to forward the proposal with no recommendation failed on a 4–2 vote, but because neither a favorable nor unfavorable motion received the required six votes, the outcome was effectively no recommendation. A separate motion by Commission President Howard Stevenson to issue a favorable recommendation died for lack of a second.
The proposal calls for a 7,500-square-foot memory care facility with 12 beds on less than one acre of land.
Public comment drew strong interest, with 13 speakers addressing the commission. Nine spoke in opposition to the project, while four voiced support. Commission members said they also reviewed numerous written comments submitted by residents on both sides of the issue.
Residents from the nearby Breakwater subdivision and other surrounding neighborhoods raised concerns about traffic, safety, and land use compatibility. Supporters argued that memory care services are needed in Fishers and that the proposed facility would fill a growing community need.
Plan Commissioner and Fishers City Council member Pete Peterson cautioned attendees about legislation currently moving through the Indiana General Assembly that could significantly limit local zoning authority. Peterson said such changes could eventually allow denser residential uses—such as duplexes—on the property, with little or no local control.
Several residents threatened legal action if the proposal is approved, but Peterson said the possibility of lawsuits should not influence the commission’s decision. He cited similar legal threats made during the city’s recent debate over its rental property registration ordinance.
The Fishers City Council is scheduled to take final action on the Story Cottage development at its February 23 meeting.
Policy Committee – (L-R) Matt Kegley, Denise Justice, Dawn Lang & Juanita Albright
The issue of which meetings Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board members should attend remains unresolved, as the board’s Policy Committee opted to further develop proposed language rather than move it forward.
During a Wednesday morning meeting, committee members Dawn Lang and Juanita Albright raised concerns about suggested additions to the board’s policies that would clarify when board members may attend meetings, including as observers.
Lang cautioned that expanding the scope of meetings board members could attend could create a “slippery slope” over time. She said the presence of a high-level board member at certain meetings could alter the dynamic of those meetings, not always in a positive way, and potentially create what she described as an “intimidating tone.”
Lang emphasized that information brought to the board should continue to flow through the district’s existing committee structure. She said the proposed language could be interpreted broadly, allowing a board member to “sit in on anything.”
“Then where does it end?” Lang asked.
Albright agreed with Lang’s assessment.
Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley told the committee the proposed language was drafted in response to a request from board member Latricia Schooley. Kegley said he will revise the language based on the committee’s feedback and present an updated proposal at the committee’s March meeting.
Kegley added that Schooley had expressed that the intent of the policy was not to allow board members to become involved in the district’s day-to-day operations.
Any changes to board policy would require approval by a majority vote of the full seven-member school board.
It was true when I hosted a variety of radio talk shows from 1975 through September 1982. It remains true today.
Let me begin with a clear disclaimer: I do not know Rob Kendall. I have never met him, communicated with him, or listened to his talk show. I simply do not listen to much radio anymore, so I am not familiar with the program he hosted locally for nine years.
What I know comes from news media reports, which indicate that Kendall’s tenure at WIBC has come to an end. According to those accounts, his contract with WIBC’s owner, Radio One, expired on Oct. 31, 2024. Kendall continued working without a formal contract while negotiations continued.
Reports state that Kendall hired an agent to represent him in those negotiations, after which communication from ownership apparently ceased. He was later told not to report to work as of Jan. 15 and has been off the air since then. On Feb. 3, Kendall announced publicly that he was no longer employed by Radio One and that the relationship had ended.
Sadly, this is a familiar story in broadcasting.
The industry has always operated on a “what have you done for me lately” model. A host can deliver an audience to a station for years, but if the size or demographics of that audience no longer align with management’s goals, the host quickly becomes expendable.
That reality has only intensified over time.
When I worked in radio, the Federal Communications Commission limited ownership to no more than seven AM stations, seven FM stations, and seven television stations per entity. Those rules were later eliminated, leading to a small number of companies owning the majority of radio stations across the country. In my view, that consolidation has not resulted in better radio for the public—quite the opposite.
Still, the media landscape has changed in ways that can benefit experienced voices. With the platforms now available—podcasts, digital streaming, and independent media—a broadcaster like Kendall, who appears to have built a loyal audience, is well positioned to reemerge. His listeners will likely have the opportunity to find him again, and sooner rather than later.
Even though I was never a listener and know him only by reputation, I wish Rob Kendall well in his future endeavors. He is simply the latest example of a talented broadcaster caught in a business that has always been, and remains, unforgiving.
Mayor Fadness presenting the State of the City address
I have known Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness for nearly 14 years — as long as I have been writing this local news website. Over that time, we have had countless conversations, dating back to his days as Fishers Town Manager, through his mayoral campaign, and throughout his tenure as mayor, which began in 2015.
In those conversations, Fadness has consistently returned to one core concern: the life cycle of a city.
Time and again, he has said that a city is either moving forward or moving backward — standing still is not an option, and in many ways is the same as decline. He has often pointed to nearby cities that were once shiny, fast-growing municipalities with everything going for them, only to grow complacent and slowly slide into a downward spiral.
That familiar Scott Fadness was on full display Tuesday during his 2026 State of the City address at the Fishers Event Center. Under the heading “What keeps me up at night,” the mayor laid out his concerns for Fishers’ future — and his plan to keep the city from falling into complacency.
Fishers is riding high right now, and Fadness, rightly so, highlighted a long list of accomplishments. Money magazine and numerous other publications have named Fishers one of the best places to live in America for several consecutive years.
But the mayor made it clear this is precisely the moment when a successful city must guard against complacency. He said he plans to work closely with his staff and the Fishers City Council to develop ideas and strategies to avoid the downward cycle he has watched play out elsewhere.
“I think we have a really good shot — a really good shot — of breaking that cycle, that traditional cycle,” Fadness said.
The mayor also shared an insight he has mentioned in past podcasts with me: that he has learned a great deal from conversations with the dads of the boys he coaches now that his own sons are involved in sports. Those parents, he noted, are often less focused on the day-to-day issues a mayor typically handles and more concerned about days-to day concerns and the broader future their children will inherit — a perspective that has influenced his approach to leadership.
The event opened with a shoutout to State Sen. Kyle Walker, whom Fadness thanked for his tireless work helping shepherd legislation through the Indiana General Assembly that has been important to Fishers.
The address ended on a somber and deeply personal note. Fadness shared details of a conversation with the father of Haley Buzbee, the 17-year-old Hamilton Southeastern High School student who went missing and was later confirmed deceased. He spoke about who Haley was as a person and the positive impact she had on her family and friends.
The mayor asked for no applause at the conclusion of his speech, instead requesting a moment of silence to reflect on Haley’s life. The room fell completely still — you could hear a pin drop — until the lights came back on and the OneZone luncheon crowd quietly began to file out of the Event Center.
It was the right touch to end a State of the City address.
Rep. Garcia-Wilburn presents her bill to the House
Legislation requiring Indiana Department of Child Services caseworkers to see a child in person before closing or discharging a case passed unanimously out of the Indiana House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 2.
House Bill 1036, authored by State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, D-Fishers, mandates that a DCS caseworker conduct an in-person visit with a child within 30 days prior to a case being closed or discharged.
The bill was drafted in response to high-profile child welfare tragedies, including the death of five-year-old Kinsleigh Welty, who died of starvation. Supporters say the legislation is designed to ensure children are safe before DCS investigations and cases are concluded.
“Every child in our state is precious. Not one death of a child is acceptable,” Garcia Wilburn said in a statement following the bill’s passage. “By requiring an in-person visit by a DCS caseworker before a case closure, my hope is that we prevent more avoidable deaths from abuse and neglect and do not allow more children to fall through the cracks of the system.”
Garcia Wilburn also thanked her co-authors — Reps. Alex Burton, Lori Goss-Reaves and Julie McGuire — as well as the House for its unanimous support of the measure.
HB 1036 now moves to the Indiana Senate for consideration. If approved there, it would advance to the governor’s desk for final action.
Garcia Wilburn noted that while the bill’s passage in the House marks an important milestone, additional work remains as the legislation continues through the General Assembly.
